Aqueduct Hotlist - January 29

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, January 29, 2021 at Aqueduct
                By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

Hot List Key:
 A: A preferred horse to watch                           B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4^th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race – (2) Just Read It (B) made her debut in December and was making a winning move in the stretch when the hole closed and she had to alter course, ending up fourth. She gets Lasix for the first time as a 3-year-old. (4) Heels Together ships up from Florida to make her debut for Christophe Clement who has become one of the best trainers of first-time starters winning at 28% currently. This filly sold for $410,000 a yearling. (5) Chargina was second in her second start at Laurel for Michael Trombetta. (1) My Delicious will also make her third start and gets Lasix for the first time in this maiden special weight.

3^rd race – (2) Paint Music for Me was second last time as the favorite going nine furlongs at the $20,000 maiden claiming level. He comes back at the same level but cuts back to one mile. (4) Loaded Joe had the lead last time and ran second in a similar spot. That speed should be an asset at this lowest level maiden race at Aqueduct. (1) Grecian Pharoah was third after a nine-month layoff while racing on a sloppy track at the Big A. (6) Fixation will drop down from a $40,000 tag in his third start following a long layoff.

4^th race – (1A) Pendolino drops out of a third-place finish against open company in a starter allowance at Aqueduct and tries NY-bred competition for the first time in about a year. She returns in seven days and gets a rider upgrade to Eric Cancel. (4) Ellarella set the pace and finished third in a first-level state-bred allowance like Friday’s spot. From that race, the place horse came back and won her next start. (3) Ifihadachance pressed the pace, had the lead, and ended up third against that return winner that was mentioned above. (6) My My Michelle returned from almost a year off on a sloppy track for Michelle Nevin and now gets blinkers on. Last winter she won a maiden special weight against NY-breds in her third career start.

7^th race – (4) Make Mischief changes barns from Mark Casse to Chris Englehart after last being seen in the Chandelier (G2) at Santa Anita in September when she had a tough trip early in the race. Back in New York, she will try state-bred competition for only the third time where she won a debut maiden special weight at Belmont Park and ran second in a stake. She has been training smartly at Casse’s training center in Florida. (5) Pleasure Luck broke her maiden by seven lengths after a June layoff and now faces winners in this first-level OC allowance going seven furlongs. (3) Shanes Pretty Lady was a debut winner for Todd Pletcher at Belmont who then ran twice in state-bred stakes. Earlier in the month, she was second in a similar spot to this race. (1) Chasing Cara broke her maiden by a neck after trying some stakes races and now gets Lasix for the first time.

Best bets:  Just Read It (1^st); Paint Music for Me (3^rd). Best value:  Pendelino (4^th); Make Mischief (7^th).